Since the 1970s, the labour export policy of the Philippine government has forced overseas Filipino workers to work abroad to provide for their families. An average of 6,000 workers leave the Philippines each day. One way they maintain a connection with their loved ones is to send home balikbayan boxes packed with items that symbolize their labour and care.

Not just an exhibition, BALIKBAYAN will transform the Workers Arts and Heritage Centre into a gathering place to listen to migrant workers’ stories over the exhibition season. In a series of gatherings, workers from Hamilton and Toronto will participate in a healing soup circle, create storytelling wearables and plant native seeds. At each gathering, folks can create their own pasalubong (gifts) to take home and share with others.